Othello sewer rates to stay the same in 2022
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 4 months AGO
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | November 5, 2021 1:00 AM
OTHELLO — Othello residents will not see an increase in their sewer rates until at least 2026. Othello city officials recommended against an increase during a discussion at the Oct. 25 council meeting.
The city’s sewer rates are reviewed every three years, with the review due for rates in 2022. City finance officer Spencer Williams said current sewer rates are covering the department’s expenses and providing a surplus and city officials compared sewer rates to other local cities, including Quincy and Moses Lake.
Council member Genna Dorow said Othello was among the higher rates in that comparison and it would be preferable to be in the middle of the pack. Rates will have to increase sometime, she said, but not yet.
City officials analyzed the rates, Williams said, and determined the costs of running the sewer department would be less than the money generated by the current rates. Council member John Lallas said that would still be true in 2025.
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Road closures, roundabout, mean construction season underway
EPHRATA — The grass is starting to turn green, the trees are starting to leaf out, construction crews are starting to build roundabouts – hey, it’s spring. At least one roundabout project is in its final phase, held over from fall 2025. The intersection of State Route 282 and Nat Washington Way will be closed the week of April 6 to allow crews to install permanent lights. “This really is the final (closure),” wrote Grant County Administrator Tom Gaines in a media release. “The roundabout will close at 6 a.m. Monday, and we plan to reopen by Friday, possibly sooner if the work finishes early.”
Ybarra announces run for Washington Senate
QUINCY — State Representative Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, has announced his candidacy for the Washington Senate. If he’s elected, he would replace Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, who announced her retirement in March.
Othello Community Museum to open April 25
OTHELLO — With a couple of new exhibits, a new heating-cooling system, rearranged displays and a thorough cleaning, the Othello Community Museum will open for the summer April 25. The goal, said Molly Popchock, museum board secretary, is to operate for a full season.